His incessant knocks pulled me out of my thoughts.


    "Come in," I said calmly, taking my time before I answered him.


    He still barged in, but didn''t knock my door on the wall. "Why did youy off half of the team?!" He demanded arrogantly.


    I watched him incredulously. In those three years, the lean Richie was gone, now he was sporting bulging muscles and a toned body. His face told of how well he took care of it and his expensive attire screamed the tales of thevish life he must be living.


    I shook my head. I can see where it was alling from. The pride, the confidence.


    "First of all, Richie, you''re well aware that I am the CEO of thispany," I started, making sure to sound as authoritative and cold as I could; enough to put him in his ce. "I have every damn right to make any decision. And you?" I pointed at him, arching my brows, "You''re just a department head, I enunciated on the just. "You''re just a mere manager," I reiterated condescendingly.


    His face could barely contain his fury as his jaw worked and his fists clenched and unclenched.


    "Your role as a manager, Richie, if you''ve forgotten, is to ensure your team is effective and also to steer them into being more efficient. You have no damn right neither is it any of your duty to whine about the orders I issue out." I held his raging gaze afterward, making sure every word stuck,


    I twisted back and reached for the list. I threw it at him and he efficiently caught it. "There is theyoff list of your department. I don''t want to get a whiff of any of them in thispany." His eyes rapidly perused the list, his grip on it creasing the edges where he held it.


    "Secondly," he looked up, "You very well know how incapable theseid off employees are, don''t you?" I met his gaze, daring him to say a word in denial. "They wouldn''t even pass the first step if a proper interview had been conducted. They only got this position because they aced the tests in your bed, right?"


    He seemed stunned by my words, he stood there dumbfounded for a while.


    I smirked, d that Grace had been thoughtful enough to fill me in about everything head of department.


    He awkwardly cleared his throat, his eyes refused to meet mine. Then he seemed to summon up the courage to face me, "So what now? Almost every employee in the department is gone. With one employee trying to get the job of three workers done, it''s practically a mess right now. We can''t operate normally or efficiently like that."


    I nodded, impressed and relieved. Atleast, he still cared about work.


    "I will have HR recruit new employees for your department as soon as possible," I assured him then with a re, I warned him, "I hope you don''t make a move on the new batch of new employees too. I reiterate my bottom line, I hate unfaithful men and yboys. I hate ckers and you know that. Richie, you are capable, I still believe that and thepany has grown with your help, but I don''t want your wrong and impulsive choices and actions to end our friendship," I held his gaze, Or your stay in thispany."


    The fury and shock that crossed his eyes were expected. Then the shock was gone and it was just a silent fury as he processed my words.


    I knew my words – or maybe I should ssify them as threats – were riling him up. The power y I was pulling made him feel belittled and he hated it. I could see it in his res and the hard set of his jaw but I didn''t give an eff. If that was the way he woulde back to his senses and not turn the firm into a whorehouse then so be it.


    "You can go now, I''m busy." I said coldly, without sparing him another nce. I turned my back to him and focused on the design I was working on before he interrupted me.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    For a while, he remained there. I saw his fist clench around the list I handed him and I felt his angry gaze on my back but I was sure he would get over it. It can be quite embarrassing and infuriating to get knocked off your horse.